Likely to inspire fun and creativity.
Sixth grade space enthusiast Maple McNutt spills all to her private journal.
Maple struggles with anxiety, but in her view it could just as likely be the rare disease ankylosing spondylitis. She takes an exacting approach to her beloved science—even getting impatient with her mother, who works in public relations for NASA, for using unserious materials like glitter in the pursuit of fun outreach to kids. Nuanced, Maple is not, but her enthusiastic descriptions, annotated doodles, and occasional obliviousness are amusing. According to her friends and family, though, Maple doesn’t understand fun. In a devastating turn of events, best friend Sunny Gwon pulls away from her, leaving her without a partner for her school’s Invention Convention. Maple therefore embarks upon a new journey of scientific problem-solving: “To become fun,” states her working theory (synthesized from 86 different websites), “one must: 1. Relax / 2. Have a sense of humor / 3. Open up / 4. Do something scary.” These steps are not easy for Maple. She’s stressed out by the presence of Juniper, her active older sister, and Jared, the boy Sunny’s getting close to. She also worries about having to speak up at school. When Maple finds a “research assistant” in new classmate Lada, who recently moved from Hungary, their budding friendship brings her much-needed perspective and comfort. The chatty tone, inviting layout, and humorous voice will draw readers in and keep them entertained. Maple reads white; Sunny is cued Korean American.
Likely to inspire fun and creativity. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781665941037
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best.
Friendly curiosity and a gift for naming earn a polar bear an assortment of (mostly animal) friends, adventures, mishaps, and discoveries.
Arriving at a northern ocean, Duane spies a shipwreck. Swimming out to investigate, he meets its lone occupant, C.C., a learned snowy owl whose noble goal is acquiring knowledge to apply “toward the benefit of all.” Informing Duane that he’s a polar bear, she points out a nearby cave that might suit him—it even has a mattress. Adding furnishings from the wreck—the grandfather clock’s handless, but who needs to tell time when it’s always now?—he meets a self-involved musk ox, entranced by his own reflection, who’s delighted when Duane names him “Handsome.” As he comes to understand, then appreciate their considerable diversity, Duane brings out the best in his new friends. C.C., who has difficulty reading emotions and dislikes being touched, evokes the autism spectrum. Magic, a bouncy, impulsive arctic fox, manifests ADHD. Major Puff, whose proud puffin ancestry involves courageous retreats from danger, finds a perfect companion in Twitch, a risk-aware, common-sensical hare. As illustrated, Sun Girl, a human child, appears vaguely Native, and Squint, a painter, white, but they’re sui generis: The Canadian author avoids referencing human culture. The art conveys warmth in an icy setting; animal characters suggest beloved stuffed toys, gently reinforcing the message that friendship founded on tolerance breeds comfort and safety.
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3341-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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